New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-07-06
KENTUCKY VENDETTA.
fhe Sheriff and Posse Kill the Desperadoes who
Have Terrorized Rowan County, KY, and
Killed TWenty.One People 8

Have Terrorized Rowan County, KY, and
Killed TWenty.one People.
Adispatch from Louisville, XIV, gives
the outlines OF vendetta outraees. such "a
are unknown in other sections. but; are
quite in keeping on the dark and bloody
boa OF OLD Kentucky: In August, 1884,
after heated election contest, Cook
Humphreys was elected sheriff OF Rowan
county by AZ majority over Sam
uel Goodwin. During the canvass many
anlmosltles were engendered, the Martins
ally1ng themselves with the Humphreys
and the Tallivers with the Goodwins.
Craig Talliver, the leader OF the latter fac.
ton swore after the election that Hum
phreys should never ride Rowan county as
sheriff Since that date life alter life has
oeen offered on the alter ofhatred and bad
blood with increasing frequency despite the
pest efforts OF the judiciary and militia,
packed by the strong arm of the state gov
eminent. The names of the victims in the
order killed are as follows:
Solomon Bradley, ] ohm Martin, White
Pelfrey, B. Caudelle, Deputy Sheriff Baum
gardner, Mason Keeton. John Marlow,
John Davis, Wiley Tolliver, a railroad
Ben Rayburn. John Day. Floyd
Tolliver, a party whose name is not re.
nembered, besides the two recent victims,
John B. Logan and w. H. Logan, and
Craig Toliver, Bud Tolliver, Jay Tolliver
and Hiram Cooper.
The fight was at Moorhead between a
sheriff's posse and the Tolliver gang. Sheriff
Hogg, presumably acting under instruc-
tions from the state authorities, has been
for a week organizing posse for the
purpose OF arresting Craig Tolliver. Tolli-
yer had received intimations OF this and
his party, consisting OF about ten men,
were quite vigilant, and went heavily
armed. The sheriff finally decided to at
tempt the arrest OF the assassins Wednes-
day, June %, in the day time, and
80 prevent any women, children or
lnoffenslve citizens from being killed
by accident at an early hour this
morning people living on the line OF the
RAILROAD within two Or three miles OF More
head on each side OF the townwere notified
80 stop all trains and inform the conduct
ors what was going on in the forehead, SO
shat the passengers and train men would
not be placed in danger.
Sheriff Hogg's band of resolute men, num-
boring probably more than two hundred,
suddenly appeared at Morehead about s
O'Clock this evening. ACCORDION was first es-
tablished around the entire town in the
brush where the men could not be seem
The sheriff then entered the town at the
head OF about one hundred we'll armed
men. Craig Tolliyer and his ten followers
Immediately retreated to the Cot
tage hotel which they had prev
iously barricaded in such a manner
as to make it quite formidable fortifi-
cation. Sheriff Hogg then notified Tolliver
that he had warrants for the arrest OF all
the men implicated in the killing OF the
Logan boys and asked that they all sub
NIT peaceably to arrest. Toliver's reply
was that neither he nor his
men would be arrested, and
that hundred men could not
take them. His party then opened fire on
the sheriff's posse. The fighting was kept up
probably for two hours. The only casualty
for a time was flesh wound received by
party finally finding things growing too
warm, concluded to make a bold rush
for liberty. AS they made the
rush they were met by a tremendous vol
ley which killed Craig Tolliver, Bud Tolli-
yer, Jay Tolliver and Hiram Cooper. They
were all shot through the heart and died
instantly. Craig Tolliver seemed to have
been a general target, as he SO thor
oughly riddled as to be scarcely recognize
able. The Others OF the gang got through
safely but as they approached the brush
they were met by a volley from the out
side Gordon, consisting Of line OF men
stationed ten or twelve feet apart all
around the town. This yolley wounded
Cate Tolliver, a twelve-year- old boy, and
others. all OF whom were captured except
Cate Tolliver, who crawled into tho brush
and escaped. This brought the battle to
an end, and the slain were gathered up
and laid out on the street, where they
were viewed by the people and the passen-
gers from the train. \